"I hear," he said, "that a very unpleasant thing has taken place in
my absence, and I wish to learn all that I can about it, that the
guilty person may be brought to light, and the innocent cleared from
any suspicion."
The children looked at one another, wondering how he had heard, or
whether Miss Fosbrook had told him; but this was soon answered by his
calling out, "David! come here, and tell me what you meant by this
letter."
David walked stoutly to his father's knee, nothing daunted, though
his brothers muttered behind him, "So he wrote!" "Little sneak!" and
"He knew no better!" Not that it was wrong to lay the case before
his father; but boys had usually rather suffer injustice than make an
accusation.
"Why did you write this letter, David?" said his father.
"Because I want my pence for the pig."
"Tell me how you lost them?"
"Bess took them!"
Elizabeth sprung up, crimson, and with tears in her eyes, and Sam and
Susan were both bursting out into an angry "No, no!" but their father
made a sign to all to keep still; and they obeyed, though each of the
elder ones took hold of a hand of their sister and squeezed it hard.
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